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What history tells us about Washington Football Team’s chances of reaching .500

By Jonathan Eig

LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 20: Robert Griffin III #10 of the Washington Redskins celebrates after the Redskins scored a touchdown in the second half during an NFL game against the Chicago Bears at FedExField on October 20, 2013 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 20: Robert Griffin III #10 of the Washington Redskins celebrates after the Redskins scored a touchdown in the second half during an NFL game against the Chicago Bears at FedExField on October 20, 2013 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – AUGUST 14: Head coach Joe Gibbs of the Washington Football Team looks on before a NFL exhibition football game against Carolina Panthers at FedEx Field on August 14, 2004 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – AUGUST 14: Head coach Joe Gibbs of the Washington Football Team looks on before a NFL exhibition football game against Carolina Panthers at FedEx Field on August 14, 2004 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Honorable Mentions

First I will note, in the manner of Honorable Mentions, the five other seasons when WFT improved by four wins:

1942: the 10-1 mark is the highest winning percentage in WFT history, and the boys won the NFL Championship by downing a Chicago Bears team that had humiliated them 73-0 in the championship game just two years before.

1962: Washington became the last team in the NFL to integrate, and new star Bobby Mitchell helped carry them from 1-12-1 in 1960 to 5-2-2 late into the 1962 season before five straight losses undercut the success. Still, things were finally looking brighter in DC.

More from Riggo's Rag

1991: From a very good 10-6 1990 season to the glorious 14-2 team that would dominate Buffalo in Washington’s last Super Bowl win.

1999: From 6-10 to 10-6 in new owner Daniel Snyder’s first year. The run into the playoffs temporarily preserved coach Norv Turner’s job.

2005: Another 6-10 to 10-6 turnaround in Joe Gibbs’ second year of his second go-round.  WFT defeated Tampa Bay in the Wild Card round of the playoffs – its last playoff win.

And I have no idea what to do with the 1982/83 seasons. In 1983, WFT did, in fact, win six more games than they did in their Super Bowl-winning year of 1982. But that’s because they only played nine games in the strike-shortened ’82. Their winning percentages (8-1 in ’82; 14-2 in ’83) were virtually identical.

The real improvement probably would have shown up in the transition from 1981 (Gibbs’ first season in which they won eight games), and ’82, when they also won eight, but only played nine. We’ll just note that one and move on.

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